Add and Adhd - Ponca City,OK

My daughter is ADD and she has a really hard time concentrating and when she is not on her meds she has a hard time controlling herself as well. She can't slow her mind down enough to react appropriately to something. She just does whatever impulse she has. Also with my daughter she has a really hard time falling asleep b/c her mind is going 100mph. We are still trying to work that part out. Good luck on the issues you are having!

My daughter has ADHD hyperactive type my son had ADD Inattentive type (which is now called ADHD Inattentive) The difference betweent he two is remarkable.

My daughter ADHD hyperactive acts as if she runs on a motor, she was an active baby and when she crawled, she crawled fast and furious and into everything, when she walked she ran. She started throwing tantrums before she could walk, wild, furious tantrums!!! She was the kid that ran away from us in public, tried to hide under the clothing racks in the stores, refused to stay in a stroller for long, we could not go to restaurants anymore because she could not sit and behave. Discipline methods that worked with other children did not work with her, she didn't care. Discipline that worked one day, one hour, one minute did not work the next! She was and is full of life, always laughing, interested in everything, very creative, makes lots and lots of fun, life IS about fun. She is extremely smart and learns quickly and gets bored quickly. Does not stay focused, she starts lots of art projects and starts to write stories but never finishes them before starting the next, she is disorganized and MESSY. Talks, Talks, Talks and Talks some more! She is 8 years old and she never stops talking. She is very reactive, explodes and stubborn. At the same time very sensitive. She cannot just settle down at bedtime, she needs to do a project in bed before she can fall asleep. At school she is a perfectionist, she never forgets anything. I Love her, she is so interesting and full of life, everyone who knows her loves her she is so special and like no one else. Thinks outside the box. But, at the same time might put me in the insane asylum someday LOL!!!

My son, inattentive type ADD Always a good little baby who slept through the night at a few weeks old. On time with his milestones but he was not in a hurry to master them. As a toddler he could play with the same toy for a very long time. He would play with Thomas the Train for hours. We could go out to dinner and he would sit quitely, we were even complimented on his manners when he was a toddler. Loves sports and really good at them especially basketball and soccer. In school, never put much effort into anything. He loves to read and verbally he is very smart with a large vocabulary his written work is sloppy and rushed. He forgets EVERYTHING, homework, books at school, notices, leaves lunch boxes and coats at school etc...He cannot stay focused or on task. He daydreams all the time. It takes him HOURS to get a chore done such as yard work that he does not want to do (because it is overwhelming to him), he gets distracted by the littlest thing over and over again. It is painful to watch. He is disorganized and his backpack and room is MESSY. He is quiet. He is well like by the kids at school and is popular and he is a star basketball player. He is smart but does not like doing school work, does not put effort into it, his work is sloppy and he cannot pay attention. Inattentive ADHD: Lack of focus, can't stay on task, disorganized, not only disorganized with things but disorganized with thoughts and actions, forgetful, daydreams, not hyper, may appear lazy but is not) Verbally he is extremely intelligent. He sleeps well once he falls asleep at night but, sometimes it takes him hours to fall asleep and it is not because he is playing, he is really trying to go to sleep (insomnia, sx of ADHD) He is a pre-teen now. Moody, moody, moody but in a quiet way. He is kind, gently, well liked, oh did I mention he has a great sense of humour and makes everyone laugh, it is a nice sense of humour that both kids and adults can relate to. I Love him so much. But he is infuriating, trying to get something done is painful. He is like a mule, stubborn. We are currently seeking the right treatment plan for him.

Kids and Adults with ADHD are very special people. They are the artist, CEOs and inventors of our world. The think outside the box and with the right intervention grow up to be very successful people. They are magnetic!!!

Good resources:
Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell
Answers to Distraction by Edward Hallowel
ADHD by Barkley
CHADD.com
additudemagazine.com
goaskmom.com (strictly inattentive adhd)
And this site has a lot of caring, intelligent mom's touched by someone with ADHD in their lives

I just want to add, each person with ADHD is an individual they may have a mixture of the two types, some traits of one type and not the other, may be affected mildly or severly etc...

Take care,
L.

Ditto on Riley J's explanation of ADHD being the one diagnosis with three different types.

I would add that the problem is eased with stimulant medication because these medications enhance the effectiveness of the neruotransmitters in the brain. Because our brain cells do not touch, we rely on chemicals to carry our thoughts over this tiny space. When we either do not make enough of the chemcicals, or there the receptors do not work well, that person has ADHD. Some kids express this with inattnetion, and some with hyperactivity (think the 2 year old who is running around because he needs a nap-trying to stay awake) and some have both expressions.

It is a medical condition. I would disagree with Riley that this is the inablity to pay attention to things that are boring. It is the sporadic ability to maintain attention to tasks that require a great deal of processing. That there are some areas where kids can hyper focus, only means that the processing skill required for that skill is intact for them. Like any other illness, some days and moments are better than others. Sometimes people with arthritis have no pain and can open a jar well, and some people with arthritis do not have bad knees, and some do. It is no different for ADHD.

I would add a couple of authors to the list. Dr. Mel Lavine, and Dr. Russel Barkely both have wonderful books that will give you many srategies for how to help kids with ADHD.

School is a huge issue. Check out www.wrightslaw.com. The firs article you should read (again and again until you understand it) is Tests and Measurments for Parents and Advocates.

Good luck,
M.

The difference between the two disorders is that one is primarily about inattention and the other, hyperactivity. If you are looking for a possible diagnosis of a school aged child, a pediatric neurologist is the medical professional you're looking for. If it's a toddler/preschooler, they don't diagnose at that young age. There are many books on the subject that can give you very specific information about symptoms, behavioral modifications, etc. If it is a school aged child and he/she is diagnosed medically, this diagnosis qualifies the child for an IEP.
Good luck!

http://www.ldpride.net/addexplained.htm

see if that link helps :) my son had adhd. it is not easy to live with, but he is a joy. he's always active and happy. we have chosen not to medicate (economy, cost of meds, and we've just learned to deal with it). each person who tries to handle him has to find their own way of doing it. what works for me (and i'm not talking bribery, lol, or just letting him get away with stuff) does not work for my husband.

Hello D.. Don't feel bad about not knowing. It's probably a blessing if you haven't had to deal w/ these disorders until now! ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I'm sure you are familiar w/ Hyperactivity so ADD is the same disorder just w/out the Hyperactivity. I've heard it explained as the nuerons that take messages to different parts of the brain are not doing thier job. They get sidetracked or distracted. La Te Da lets stop and admire the blood cells or whatever instead of oh, I had better get this message where it needs to be ASAP! So the children who have it have trouble concentrating, are easily distracted, have trouble in school, etc... If they have ADHD, they have the added problem of not being able to sit still or talking out of turn, blurting things out. They are constantly moving or messing w/ stuff. (yet they can be still if they get interested in something on TV or a video game or something often misleading parents to think they don't have ADHD). My son was treated for ADHD for years before we found out that the ADHD was actually a symptom of a more serious problem, he's bipolar. I hope this helps you.

They are the same disorder just that adhd is more active in behavior.

Add is where the person has a hard time staying focused for long periods of times. Reading a book without breaks would be hard.

Adhd is where the person has a even harder time staying in on place for long periods of time. watching a movie would be very hard to do without getting up.
This person would seem to be always moving.

I hopes this helps.
God Bless,
T.

ADD and ADHD are both Attention Deficit Disorder. ADD is the inattentive type while ADHD is the hyperactivity type. Both are treated the same way. The difference is the way the child processes. Attention Deficit Disorder is the over stimulation of the brain. The inattentive type processes by shutting down. This child looks lazy. The hyperactive type processes by trying to keep up with the brain impulses. This child cannot sit still. Medically, both types are treated the same, by giving a stimulant. I'm not sure how or why this works; but it does. I have two children with ADD; one with inattentive and one hyperactive. They are on the same medicine and same strength. My daughter with inattentive type graduated from high school and went to college. My son with borderline hyperactivity is on the A-B Honor roll in the 11th grade. He is on the Audio Visual team, in the choir, and is almost an Eagle in Boy Scouts. I think the secret is to keep them busy in constructive activities. Do not let them run wild because they will get into trouble if given the time. Good luck in the future!

As I understand it ADD or attention deficit disorder is the inability to stay focused for some activities but not necessarily all activities. ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the inability to stay focused as well as the inability to stay quiet and still. Again, the abilities vary according to activity. ADD is related to the mind. ADHD is related to the mind and body.
For example; I've read that children with both disorders can usually focus for long periods of time while watching TV.

You can find many good sites on the Internet by googling both of those terms. Differentiation of these disorders is complex and not easily done even by experts. There are hundreds of recommended ways to handle both of these disorders. The question cannot be answered in just a few paragraphs. Also each child/adult is different with various combinations of symptoms.

Even after a child has been diagnosed as being ADD or ADHD there is no sure way to know that the diagnosis is correct. My granddaughter was diagnosed with ADHD and eventually put on medication. The medication side affects were disagreeable to her and her mother stopped giving it to her. Just a couple of months later her symptoms have lessened. I suspect that she wasn't actually ADHD but was reacting to stress which has lessened. I also suspect that she has matured out of some of the symptoms.

ADD is attention deficit disorder and is a very noticible lack of attention to most everything.

AHHD - is attention deficit disorder due to being hyperactive. My child has this- even to the point of not sleeping. I took her to a pyschologist who put her on a low dose medication and she is like a different child. My once "holy terror" is now a sweet little girl.

Always remember that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask - I can't imagine anyone being snide when you have a legitamate question. Hope this helps and God bless!

ADD is the old name for ADHD-inattentive type. Our son has ADHD-combined type, with inattentiveness and hyperactivity. A child will be diagnosed with a specific type of ADHD.

I think the others have given you a good description of the two. If you're seeking a diagnosis, be sure to go to a child psychiatrist or neuropsychologist -- these are the two types of professionals with the right expertise to make a diagnosis. Only a handful of pediatricians have the specialized training to make an accurate diagnosis and manage treatment.

A couple of good resources to check out: ADDitude magazine -- www.additudemag.com and CHADD -- www.chadd.org. These two resources are a great help for families dealing with ADHD and offer fact-based information.

They're the same thing :) , just 2 out of 3 different expressions. They've changed the name now to be

ADHD-h (hyperactive...physical)
ADHD-i (inattentive... aka hyperactive mental)
ADHD-c (combined)

Previously adhd-i was add, and adhd-h was adhd, and adhd-c was add/adhd. I very much like the new classification... but 19 years of speech patterns take a bit to erase and replace.

ditto mamalu on books, as well as You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!? by kate kelley and peggy ramundo, and www.additudemag.com

A thing to know... it's not *technically* the inability to stay focused, it's more the inability to stay focused on anything boring. Hyper-focus always comes with adhd ... and can last for hours, like until the body literally falls down or you surface and have to do the mad race against gravity and biology to the bathroom. There are many many other symptoms as well but adhd always comes with both dispersed focus & hyper focus.

:)
R

I highly recommend two books to you:
Driven to Distraction by Hallowell
and
Raising the Spirited Child by Kurcinka
Read BOTH! Both are easy reads, even for me and I'm ADD. :)
A very good start to learning about and recognizing ADD (or not) in children. And of course, a behavioral specialist recommended by your pediatrician would be the most helpful, but I wouldn't go see anyone without reading some about it and observing your child first. You are Mom and you know your child better than anyone!

my daughter has add, is the "dreamer" and can't focus. we have been taking a liquid vitamin that has really made a huge difference in all of us. check out this website: http://www.shopGBG.com/vonny Let me know if you have any questions!

Both are inabilty to pay attention- one ADHD is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. So, a child with ADHD is hyper and the other child with ADD has a difficult time paying attention without the hyper activity.

Don't feel bad about not knowing many do not even know their are two different ADD disorders.
There are many natural medication that can help a child with either. I work with a wellness company!
Good luck!
M.